Curriculum Information

The module considers ‘policing’ from a range of interpretative lenses, including the legal, sociological, criminological and political. The module considers the historical development of policing, and the theoretical perspectives that have been subsequently placed on this development. In doing so, the orthodox and revisionist accounts will provide the context for an outline of the structure and operation of the modern police. The module includes a detailed examination of the governance of the police, including accountability and measuring police performance. Policing as an action of social control is considered more widely, including the perceived rise of ‘plural policing’ involving local authority partnerships and private companies.

The socialisation of the police is also examined, debating the benefits of ‘cop culture’, as well as the problems. Assessing such problems warrants discussion on miscarriages of justice, police corruption and the use of force. The extent and impact of ‘cop culture’ in the UK and the US is considered.

The module explores the ‘politics’ of policing, from managerialism and populism, to the recognition that policing itself is a political act, being one that is at the start of potentially removing a person’s civil liberties. Therefore, the impact of styles such as zero tolerance policing, community policing and problem-oriented policing is critically examined. The policing of protests and civil disorder is also pertinent to this theme, as is the Hillsborough disaster, and the policing of a diverse society.

The policing of several different types of crime is also examined, focussing on the difficulties that the public police face in taking account of national standards alongside local demands; victim choice; and global relations. A final lecture will point to future developments in policing.